Granit Xhaka comes under the spotlight ahead of the Nations League game against Serbia. Murat Yakin makes it clear the day before the game that he has spoken to the national team captain - and that everything should be about football.
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- The Swiss national team will face Serbia away in Leskovac in the Nations League on Saturday.
- It's a special game, especially for Granit Xhaka, after the last heated duels against the Serbs.
- Nati coach Murat Yakin tries to take the wind out of the sails before the game, however, saying: "We're concentrating on tomorrow. Not on what happened in the past."
At the 2018 World Cup, Granit Xhaka caused a scandal against Serbia with his double eagle cheer. In Qatar 2022, he clashed with the Serbian players and pulled on team-mate Ardon Jashari's jersey after the game, which many Serbs took as a provocation - even if Xhaka denied that he was referring to the Kosovan freedom fighter Adem Jashari.
Of course, everything revolves around the national team captain in the week leading up to the game in Leskovac. But the SFA is doing its best to keep the topic to a minimum. It's a game like any other, said Nati director Pierluigi Tami at the beginning of the week. The heated duels of recent years? Tami: "Those are old stories."
Xhaka himself is not commenting ahead of the game in Serbia. The SFA is not sending the national team captain to any of the five press conferences in the run-up to the match. At the last one on Friday evening, however, Murat Yakin is available to answer questions from the media - and also talks about Xhaka.
"We all know the situation. We've spoken to him," says the national team coach. "The game will be intense, passionate and emotional. He will help us to get our game through. If he's man-marked, we'll also be well prepared."
"We want to do it together - as a team"
In football, you need the necessary passion to be able to deliver your full performance. "We know Granit. He is always focused and fully committed to his work. We concentrate on tomorrow. Not on what happened in the past," said Yakin.
It's all about football on Saturday. And not just about Xhaka. Yakin: "Granit knows what it's all about. We want to win the game. Everyone is challenged - first and foremost in terms of football. We're a team, that's why we want to do it together tomorrow."